Emergency Aid for Cyclone Disaster in the Western Part of the Union of Myanmar

May 28, 2004

On May 28 (Fri), the Government of Japan decided to provide emergency assistance in kind (blankets, water purifiers, plastic jerry cans, and plastic sheets, etc.), equivalent to about 10 million yen, to the Union of Myanmar, which has sustained damage from tidal waves and strong winds caused by a cyclone.
In Myanmar, from 8:30 to 15:30 on May 19 (Wed), three-meter-high waves that hit mainly the Sittwe district near the border with Bangladesh left more than 100 persons dead, more than 10,000 afflicted and about 2,000 houses totally or partially destroyed (as of May 28). The surrounding areas, at present, are also seriously affected; food shortages caused by obstructed access, drinking-water shortages caused by unusable wells, lack of accommodation, and other factors. In this situation, the Government of the Union of Myanmar requested emergency assistance from the Government of Japan on May 28, while making relief efforts on its own. Japan has decided to extend this emergency aid from a humanitarian point of view.

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